Today has the makings of a very good day. First of all, I have finally
regained the ability to update my page of rantings, and will therefore throw up a truckload of updates
the first chance I get. It's also a safe bet that I'll have Pokémon Saphire in my hands by the
next time you see me. Zelda seems to be caught up in shipping though, but hey, two out of three.

I'm almost at the end of Xenosaga, and I must say, despite the wonderful graphics and the generally acceptable voice acting I remain thoroughly unimpressed. The Episode I - VI a la Star Wars thing, when I first heard it, sounded cool and somewhat unique (as opposed to the Final Fantasy/Dragon Warrior method), but the fact that they went ALL THE WAY with the blatant Star Wars ripp - off by delivering a cheesy "To be Continued in Episode II!!" seems contrived and very ackward. I mean, it's bad enough when they pull that crap in the movie industry (particularily when they make us wait 2, 3, or 18 years for the sequel/prequel/whatever), the last thing they need to ship over this crap to the video game industry. As far as I'm concerned, they could've left out the "Interactive Movie" style; I don't mean to say that games shouldn't become more cinematic, but just as long as they have more or at least equal parts gaming in them as well. It seems that when they fix one problem with the seires (Xenogears amazing but entirely overcomplex plot and to much damn Gear parts) they overcompinsate by having a game with a stark LACK of plot (Xenosaga really doesn't seem to do anything besides setting everything up) and a complete deemphasis on the Gear (or A.W.G.S.) aspect of the game. *Sigh*

I have a copy of Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, and except for its over the top Japanese style, I find it amusing enough. The negotiation parts are an interesting twist, despite the fact it's little more than trial and error. My all time favorite hidden gem, and I mean hidden, is Shadow Hearts. I love games that manage to do the real world setting right, and despite my reservations about some of the games historical innaccurasies, I still enjoyed the hell out of the game.

Can't wait for Zelda; after playing the demo at Gamestop a week ago, all my reservations about the graphics just kinda melted. Game on, Zelda!!

~law (shunned brother of chaos, who appears in Xenosaga Episode II as the real father of the Chu - Chu's)

Googleshng:
So, to review. You hate every single point that was common knowledge before Xenosaga was released, and
yet you bought it anyway. There's a moral here you know.

Oh, and I agree with you on Shadow Hearts there. I still wish it kept some of the atmosphere from Koudelka,
but I guess that's the price you have to pay to have demons and vampires on your party.

I normally don't print this sort of thing, but I always print at least one letter when I get the same
thing from tons of people.

Google,

Hey, I'm writing in to dispell people's fears about the new zelda game on the cube. Many, many people have criticized the game's new look, I myself being among them. That is, until I actually popped the golden disc into my cube last night and started playing. The graphics are simply amazing. I didn't get to play any of the demos, so this was my first experience with it, and let me say there's nothing that even comes close. While the game does have a cartoony look, the new graphical style actually gives itself over to effects and a degree of clarity which I've not really seen before. Everything from the grimace on a goon's face when you slice and dice, down to the shadows in the carvings on your boat in the sunlight as you jump waves between destinations has an incredible degree of polish on it. Couple the graphics with the expected zelda storyline (+ a few twists) and a degree of exploration which I have *never* seen before in any other game and you've got Wind Waker. The exploration is my favorite part so far, since there is no main land mass you've got a multitude of islands which you need to discover and explore. You're aided by your sea charts and, if you've got a GBA with a link cable, the obnoxious tingle. I've not used him much on land, but at sea he functions as a really descent GPS for your boat. As might be expected from a Zelda game the soundtrack is great, in fact this one is the best yet in the series.

It should be noted that I was THE captain of the "I'm never going to play Wind Waker, what did they do to my Zelda?!" barge. I didn't really want the game, I simply got it for the preorder of Ocarina of Time Master Quest. I can safely say now that although I didn't realize it at the time, this was money well spent.

I hope this was persuasive enough to at least get some people who weren't going to buy this game to at least consider doing so. I promise you won't be let down.

-The "Hylian pirate" Lich King

Googleshng:
See? Doubt not the Shiggy, for He shalt always deliver fun from on high!

Brevity is fun.

Hi Google,
Currently I'm playing Xenogears and enjoying it (I wanted to beat it before
I delved into Xenosaga ), but a concern has been raised on a few message
boards that I had to ask you to weigh in on it. There is a lot of people
saying that Xenosaga is really a separate story line form Xenogears, i.e.
When the Xenosaga Episode 5 is not Xenogears. What's the deal?

Onswah

Googleshng:
Short answer: Those people are wrong.

Actually, what the heck. I have time. Long answer:
When Xenogears was first made, the creators had this elaborate 6 part epic in mind, but they knew they
weren't going to have a chance to do the whole thing. So, they just did part 5, it being presumably the
most interesting one. Now that they're off on their own though, with enough time and insanity to do what
they want, they're going back and doing all 6, so presumably, they'll have enough continuity errors by
the time they reach 5 that they'll have to make some changes, kinda like how Capcom ended up remaking
the first Resident Evil to smooth some stuff over.

Quickies

Google,

The quotation, "A great weapon in the hands of a novice will eventually find the hands of an expert," is taken from the great swordsmith (whose name I can't recall) in SoA.

- TL

It certainly is. ~

Hey....

first time letter, so im not very good. anyway, i was just wondering why you would decide on saphire for the new pokemon? I picked up ruby myself.

-ben

A- I like water. B- I don't like fire. C- Like everyone else I know got Ruby.